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UK’s impact after Brexit: Environmental compliance will continue to apply in the UK 

With around 75% of all UK environment law deriving from EU regulations, secretary Andrea Leadsom working for the department for environment, food & rural affairs estimates a third of green regulations won’t be easy to transpose. Yet UK’s governmental ministers have confirmed they aim to safeguard the ‘whole body’ of existing environmental laws derived from EU legislation within the UK law prior to Brexit.

Confirmation had been published in the Department for Exiting the European Union white paper setting out the terms of the government’s Great Repeal Bill, which will be put in place before the UK withdraws from the European Union in summer 2019.

As the white paper is expected to set out, regulations on waste, packaging, WEEE and landfill are expected to last in the future. Existing targets and commitments established in among others the packaging waste directive and WEEE directive will continue to apply until the government has put in place alternative legislation to pursue a different course. The government emphasizes through the white paper that it aims to provide businesses and stakeholders with maximum certainty as the UK leaves the EU and to enshrine standards that affect the trade in products across different markets.

Additionally, the Circular Economy package, which is currently being finalized within the European Union, is likely to be among the provisions to be brought into UK law via the great Repeal Bill when it is adopted before the end of the two-year withdrawal process.

Sources: letsrecycle.com, edie.nl


19 Apr 2017 at 9:18 am